Okay, fine. If I’m being technical, I’m a child of the 70’s and a tween and teenager of the 80’s, but it sounds so much better (and makes me sound so much younger) to just say that I’m a child of the 80’s.
Sure, Donny Osmond was my first true crush and obsession (at age four — which leads to all sorts of questions about my childhood, I’m aware) but in my single digit years I also was quite smitten with Parker Stevenson, although that was more because my sister claimed the other half of the Hardy Boys — Shaun Cassidy — and left me with no choice. Because everyone with an older sister knows you cannot love the same boy or else very bad things will happen to you like a small clump of your hair will mysteriously fall out while you sleep or your favorite stuffed animal will suddenly go missing. Right? Right??
But by the time the early 80’s rolled around and I was so over Parker Stevenson (and even Scott Baio, who, as most of you know, I re-established a relationship with last year) a group of boys suddenly found themselves smack in the crosshairs of my radar. Fellow forty-somethings, you know who I’m talkin’ ’bout, because I’m sure they were in yours, too.
 Dibs on Sodapop. |
|
And as the 80’s rolled along, they only got more bitchin’ (I couldn’t help it).
 Dibs on Billy. |
|
And, of course, the addition of Mr. Andrew McCarthy was no accident.
Well done, 80’s. Well done.
But there was one dude who made his appearance in the 80’s that I was never a fan of. Maybe it was because Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy took up too much space in my heart and on my walls, or maybe because the first time I saw him was in The Pick-up Artist, which I remember not liking all that much, but this guy never really did anything for me.
Until recently.
A few years ago, Robert Downey, Jr. made a comeback.
There was all that pesky business in the 90’s and early 00’s with too much cocaine and heroin, wandering around with loaded handguns, and being found in neighbors’ houses asleep in their beds that he had to overcome.
It took awhile.
And then, after a few hilarious and self-depricating awards show presentations and his witty and clever turn as Sherlock Holmes, I was like, “I looove Robert Downey, Jr.!” and I probably declared to have loved him back in the day and to have never stopped loving him, but that was just to stake my claim in my 80’s upbringing and make me seem cool.
Then this weekend (because I’m so 2000-late) I watched Iron Man, and because I fell instantly in love with Tony Stark, watched Iron Man 2 the very next day. And then I was like, “I looove Robert Downey, Jr.!” And this time, I wasn’t just blowing 80’s smoke up my family’s ass.
He’s hilarious. And smart (and I’m not just talking Tony Stark, smart). And sarcastic. And funny. And because of all those things, pretty appealing. I mean, who doesn’t love a man in a suit?
I’ll admit, I didn’t care for Iron Man 2 nearly as much as Iron Man, but will I still be watching Iron Man 3? Like, totally.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go search Netflix for The Pick-up Artist and try to see what I missed all those years ago.
RDJ has always made my heart go pitter pat! In the 80’s he had such a bad boy look…HOT! Now I would give anything to spend a day with him. Not only is he nice to look at, the sarcasm thing cracks me up! I’d love to see if I could keep up!
I haven’t seen the Iron Man movies but I have seen his self-deprecating appearances on awards shows and talk shows and think he’s awesome. Now I’ll have to go get Iron Man on Netflix. 🙂
ps…..I was all over Shaun Cassidy in the late 70’s.
I have loved RDJ for so long. I love him for everything you have written. His sarcasm, wit, intellect, and he just has that “thing”. I don’t know what it is, but it is some sort of cross between adorable and spank-me HAWT. *ahem* (Apologies, I got a bit carried away.) Love him as Sherlock, love him as Iron Man, but my very favorite role of his is as Peter Wright in the horribly underrated “Only You”. I watch it at least once a year. Highly recommend.
Right with you, except my 80s heartthrob was John Cusack. I do love Robert Downey Jr more now. But I would also recommend the movie Chances Are with Sybil Shepard.
I love me some Robert Downey Jr to be sure. Though really Rob Lowe is no slacker either – I have come to adore him on Parks and Rec.
Oh The Outsiders…. I had a serious obsession with that movie/book for a few years in my early teens.